Addressing machine



AprilA 7, 1925. 1,532,890

H. DEUTSCH :ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed 001;. 22, 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet vl.

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INVENTO R.

April 7, 1925.

H. DEUTSCH emmREssING MACHINE File'd Oct. 22, 1920 5 sheets-Sheet 2 :NVENTOR April 7, 192s. 1,532,890

H. DEUTSCH 'ADDRESSING IACHINE Fired oct. 22, 1920 s sheets-shut a O U INVENTOR April 7, 1925.

H. DEUTSCH .ADDnEssING MACHINE Filed oct. 22, 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet.

INVENTOR;

April 7, 1925. 1,532,890

H. DEUTSCH ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed Oct. 22,-' 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 del @11o b .unil-198 Y sm-li .E.A .whims i) Y C muur C INVENTOR:

Patented Apr. 7, 192'5'.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. l

HERMANN DEUTSCH, OF BERLIN-GROSSLICHTERFELDE, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR T0 ADREMA MASCHINENBAU G. M. B. H., OF BERLIN,' GERMANY.

ADDRISSLENG MACHINE.

Application filed October 22, 1920. Serial No. 418,863.

To nl] whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, HERMANN DEUTSCH, a citizen of the German Empire, residing at Berlin-Grosslichterfelde, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Addressing Machines. ofavhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to addressing inachines in which the printing-lever at. the same time serves to feed the printing plates forward toward the particular section of a slide track, where the printing is to take lace, and the general construction of which 1s well known to all persons familiar with the art.

The essential feature of my invention resides in so improving upon the construction of the addressing machines of the type known that the printing plates as they travel to the place of printing will automaticallyv control a pad P in such a manner thatas the printing-lever is depressed there will either be4 effected an impression or not by the printingplate after it has attained the place of printing. The control of the motion carried out by the Vpad P is effected in accordance with my invention by electrical means, projections disposed at the undersides of the printing plates and adapted to move within slots formed in the slide track, being caused to coact for this purpose with contact levers extending upwardly into said slots, which Contact levers when operated serve to close electrical circuits which in their turn excite an electromagnet, by the control action of which the pad is moved into the printing position.

It will thus be understood that my improved device -provides the possibility of subdividing the printing plates of an addressing machine by extremely simple means into a number of different groups by merely disposing the aforesaid projections of the platens in 'staggered positions relatively to each other, and then by operating the appropriate switches, to secure the advantage that as the printing Vplates travel thro-ugh the addressing machine, only the printing plates belonging to a certain group or a number of particular groups will come to be automatically printed, while the printing plates belonging to the other groups disposed intermediate the printing plates about to be printed, will run inoperatively through the machine. For the purpose of accomplishing this particular obj ect, the addressing machine constructed on the lines of my invention is provided with a. number of parallel control circuits, within each of which there is arranged, besides a contact lever, a `separate switch. It will be noted that the Contact levers when encountering the projections arranged on the undcrsides of the printing plates are therefore only enabled to close-the particular circuit, the hand switch of which is likewise in the closed position.

lVithin each of the control circuits of the addressing machine constructed in accordance with my invention, there is in addition interconnected a lamp, so that on a circuit being closed by the contact lever, the respective vlamp thereof will flare up and thus serve as a signal for the person attending the machine showing that an impression is about to. be made.

learn' from the particular lamp which ares up to which specilic group of printing plates the one printing belongs, and can therefor readily sort the envelopes already printed as they leave the machine in the manner required.

The actual displacement of the pad l is effected by a system of levers, connected with the printing lever, whenever the said system of levers carries out a movement relatively to the printing lever. This will be the case, as soon as a lever of the system and which is subjected to frictional action comes to be retained by a pawl released on the magnet serving to control the catch mo- The person attending' the machine will moreover bel enabled to.

tions having been excited.- The subsequent release of the lever system and the retract-ing of the pad P into the inoperative position takes place in the course of the following working stroke of the printing lever. The arrangement of the pad P at the printing lever may be devised in the manner known.

A construction illustrating the carrying `out of my invention is shown by way of example in the drawings annexed to this specifica-tion and forming partthereof.

Figs. 1 to 3 are diagrams of theA system of electrical connection for a device constructed in accordance with my invention, along with views of the appropriate parts,

Figs. 4 to 8 are side views of the printing lever in different working positions, along tions are adapted to abut.

with the system of levers serving for the displacement of the pad, as also the control device for the said system of levers,

Fig. 9 is a plan view of Fig. 8, and

Fig. 10 is a bottomview of the printing plates appertaining to twol groups. I

' Referring to Figs. l to 8 of the drawings, a is the slidetrack of an addressing machine along which, on the printing lever being operated, the printing plates b are fed forward as they pass out of a magazine, the addressing machine illustrated belonging to th'e type in which the printing plates are fed forward b means of a slide'member. The Aprinting plates ZJ (Fig. 10) are provided with. depending rejections o which `are preferably pressed directly out of the vprinting plate. In the form of executionshown it is assumed that, the machine is intended for two groups of printing plates; however the machine may he readily adapted tocomprise a larger number of`\groups of printing plates by simply duplicating the arrangement. The subdivision of the printing plates b into the said two groups, is effected by tire projections c ofA the printing plates being staggered relatively to leach other, as shown the case ofthe two printing plates disclosed .by Fig. 10. As will be observed, the projection c of the one group of printing plates is located intermediate the first and the second line of the printing matter thereon, whereas in the other group itis disposed between the second and the third line'. Where a further subdivision of the groups is required, additional projections ma'y be arranged outside of the lines. g

In the construction shown, the slide track a is provided with only two slots e, within vwhich the projections c of the printing lates ZJ are adapted to glide. At a particuar point of the track and that at a certain distance in front of the place where the printing is carried out, angle levers f or. f', res actively, are caused to. protrude into Ithe sai slots e and against which' the projec- To reliably secure t-he projections cabutting against the 'angle levers f, f', there are provided rollers g'lodged in a box c" and serving to force the printing plates downward at this particular point. Contactl springs 7c, 7c', lodged in the frame of the machine, are adapted to cooperate with the angle levers f, f (Figs 1 and 2)..

-Each' of the contact levers f, f is disposed within a circuit within which a line is adapted to run from one of the poles of a source of electric /supply to the contact levers f, f. From the contact springs' c, lc there proceed two lines to the switchl contacts Z or Z respectively, whence the circuit continues to an electrom'agnetA n connected to the other ole of the source of electric supply. With- 1n the branch c-Z of the system of connection there is arranged a lamp m, while similarly within the branch c-Z of the-system there is disposed a' lamp m (Fig. 3).

The result obtainedv by means of the hereinbefo-re-described system of oonnections'is.

as follows If the switches Z, Z are open and the proto make contact with the. contact springs lc,

lo', then, notwithstanding, no closure of the circuit, no excitation of the magnet n will be effected because the circuits are still interrupted at Z, Z. If now, however, say, the switch Z be "closed, then as soon as the projeetionsjof the printing plates b abut against the angle lever f, the circuit within which the lamp m as also that within which the lmagnet n is dis osed, will come'to be closed, causing the lam m to iiareup andthe magnet n to be excited, while the striking of the projections of the other oup of printiiig plates' against the an le ever f will con` ytinue to produce noj e ectffwhatsoever. j

Each time the electro-magnet n is excited, the armature p, for its part which has the `form of a bent lever (cf. Figs. 4-9) and is pivotally lodged within the frame of the device, is attracted. When the electro-magnet is not excited, the bent lever p bears by aid of-.a pin q against one of the arms 7' of a two-armed lever-1', s, the arm s of which is loaded by aweight t, whereas vthe arm fr terminates in a pawl u. Upon the axis of the bent lever .p there" is in. addition arranged an arm e, against the extremityx/of which the pawl 'wof a bent lever t, y is adapted to bear' (Fig. yLl). The pawl u of the lever r, s is adapted to cooperate with the end of a two-armed lever e which, with the interpolation of a friction couplinggisl pivoted at Z to the printing lever 2 of customary type. A system of levers'I 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, whichV is pivotally disposed at 8 on the printing lever 2 starts from the other end of the. lever z. The end of the arm 7 is conlll) nected to a shaft 9, lodged to rotate with- .in the head of the printing lever, on which shaft there may. be' arranged,`for example, the controLroller for the pad p, and this in suchwise, that, according 'to the position assumed by the said roller, the pad P, (not shown) will gbe disposed at' a' greater or 1 smaller distance from the headjof the printposition ad B being The magnet n, not being excited, and as a result the pawls acted upon by said magnet assuming the positions shown in Figs. 4 and 5, there will take place no relative movement on the part of the system` of levers e, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 .with respect to the printing lever 2 as this latter carries out an up and down motion, so that therefore the pad P will also not be shifted into the printing position, Fig. 4'showing the position of the parts when the printing lever assumes its uppermost position and Fig. 5 the position of the parts when the printing lever assumes its lowerinost position.

If now, however, while the platens l) are being fed forward, the electro-magnet n come to be excited, that is to say, while the printing lever 2 (Fig. 6) is moving upward, then the lever p will be attracted and release the two-armed lever 7', s, the weight t of which latter had so far been unable to over come the weight of the lever p resting upon the other arm 'r of the lever. Hence, the pawl u bears up against the end of the lever z and engages the said end, as shown in Fig.

7, as soon as the'printing lever 2 has attained its uppermost position. With the view to retaining the lever p in the position into which it has been attracted by the magnet (Fig. 6), the lever m, y, acting under the impulse of its weight, has meanwhile engaged the end of the lever u by means of its projection'w (Figs. 6 and 7), so that the lever p will remain in the osition disclosed in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, even a ter the excitation of the electro-magnet n has ceased7 and which excitation has in fact only lasted for an instant.

If now the printing 4lever 2 be moved downward out of its uppermost position, then the lever a will be unable to follow the said movement by rot-ating about its pivot l., but will rather be secured Ain its position by the pawl-provided lever r, s and this counter to the action ofthe friction coupling arranged between it (i. e. lever z) and the printing lever 2. As a result there takes place in the course of a downward motion of the printing lever 2, according to Fig. 8, a relative movement on the part of the system of levers 3 to 7 with regard to the printing lever, so that on this latter attaining its lowermost position, as shown in Fig. 8, for example, lever 7 will come to assume the position indicated, causing the shaft -9 to be rotated within the heady of the printing lever and therewith likewise the pad P to be shifted into the printing position. It will thus be seen that when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 8, the platen positioned at the place of printing will come to effect an impression.

At the instant of printing, the printing lever 2 draws the retaining lever x, y, ao-

cording to Fig. 8 by means of a pin 11, fixedA to it by aid of plate 10, back in theidirection' indicated by arrow l2 into the initial position (Figs. 4 and` 5), with the yresult that the lever p, whichl for sometime has ceased to bc retained by the electro-magnet n, will likewise return into its initial position, and in so doing depress the arm 11 of the lever r, .s b v means of the pin g so that now the projection u will in its turn release the lever z. ."is the printing lever 2 -moves upward out of the position illustrated in F ig, 8, the lever e, which is prevented by a pin 13 from continuing to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow 14, now returns into its initial position relatively to the printing lever 2 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. lLIowever, this return motion of the lever e causes the shaft 9 to rotate backwards and consequently a' retraction of the pad P into its initial position, i. e. the position in which no impression is made, whereupon the operation will be repeated provided the next printing plate is again intended toprovoke an excitation of the electro-'magnet a. In the contrary case, the next-following platen will simply travel across the machine without effecting an impression.

It will be understood that the hereinbeforedescribed addressing machine embodies the possibility, according to whether the switch Z or Z be closed, of causing either the be printed, or even all the' print-ing plates travelling across the machine in the event of both switches being closed. i

I claim:

l. In a device of the kind described in combination a machine bed, a carrier adapted to move towards and away from said bed, means for permanently keeping said carrier moving, a pad movably connected to said carrier, a printing plate adapted to travel along said bed underneath said carrier, electric means for influencing the position of said pad relatively to said carrier and means connected with s aid plate for causing said electric mea-ns to change the p osition of said pad relatively to said carrier.

2. In a device of the kind described in combination, a machine bed, a carrier adapted to move towards and away from said bed, means 'for permanently keeping said carrier moving, a pad movably connected to said carrier, a printing plate adapted to travel along said bed underneath said carrier, electric means for inl'luenein the position of said pad relatively to sai carrier and means connected with said plate for causing said electric means to set said pad in operative position on said carrier.

3. In a device of the kind described in combination, a machine bed, a carrier adapted to permanently move towards and away from said bed, a. pad movably connected t0 one or the other group of printing plates to vsaid carrier, a printing plate adaptedv to I Aated. by said plate for changing, the position of' said pad relatively to said carrier.

4. In a 'device ofthe kind described in combination, a. machine bed, a carrier adapted topermanently move ,towards and away from said bed, aff-pad movably connected to said carrier, a p-rmting plate adapted to travelalong said bed underneath said carrier, an electric circuit, means in tlie way of said plate for closing said circuit,.electro-magnetic means adapted toinfluence the position of said impression pad inserted in said circuit and means on said plate oroperating` said-closing means" so as to cause lsaid electromagnet to change the position of said pad relatively to said carrier.

5. In a device of tliekinddescribed in combination, a machine bed, a carrier adapted to permanently vmove towards and awayn from said bed, an impression pad movably connected `to said carrier, printing plates adapted to travel along said bed underneath said carrie-r, aplurality of electric circuits, a separate cut;outA for each circuit, a con tact and electromagnetic means in each cir cuit adapted to influence the position of said impression pad, .mechanical means for closing said contact' projecting into the way of said plates andmeans on each plate for operatingone of said mechanical meansso as to close a. contact, excite an electromagnet and change the position of said pad relatively to said carrier. 6.". In a device 'lof the kind,l described in combination, a machine bed, a carrier adapted to permanently move towards and away from saidbed, an impression pad movably connected to,said carrier, a plurality of parallel grooves in said bed, a printing plate adapted: to travel alongone of said grooves,

a plurality of electric circuits, a separate cut-out for each circuit, an electromagnet' inserted in -each circuitl adapted to change the position of said pad relatively to saidgcarrier, a contact. closing device adJoinlng each' groove and means on said plate for' actuating the contact closing device adjoining the groove along whichv said plate is` travelling. U

v 7. In a device of the kind described in combination, a'machine bed, a carrier adapted to permanently movetowards and away fro-msaid bed, a pad movably connected tov said carrier,I a. pluralityY of parallel grooves in said bed, a printing plate adaptcd to travel along one of said grooves, a plurality of elect-ric circuits, a separate cutout in each circuit, anielectric lamp and an electromagnet inserted in each circuit adapted to change the position of said pad relatively to said carrier, a contact closing de# vice adjoining each groove and means on said plate for actuating the contact closin device adjoining the groove along whic said plate is travelling.

' 85 In a device of the kind described in combination, a-machine bed, afcarrier adaptedto permanently move towards and away from said bed, a pad moya-bly connected to said carrier, a plurality of parallel grooves in said bed, afprinting -plate adaptyed to travel along one of said grooves, a

lever system connected with said pad,` a plurality of electric circuits, a separate cutout for each circuit, an electromagnet inserted in each circuit adapted to influence the operative position of said lever system, a 'contact closing device adjoining each groove and meanson` said plate for actuating the contact closing device adjoining the groove along which said plate is travelling.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature HERMANN DEUTSCH. 

